DOVER — As snow blanketed the region Friday afternoon and evening, state and local officials warned citizens to hunker down and settle in for a potentially historic snow storm.

The first blizzard of 2013 arrived Friday morning, bringing with it a number of closings, delays, cancellations, parking bans and slippery roadways for motorists.

By Friday afternoon, Gov. Maggie Hassan urged all motorists to stay off the roadways, and State Fire Marshal J. William Degnan encouraged Granite Staters to be “mindful” of the hazards ahead. In southern New Hampshire, weather forecasters say residents should expect up to 2 feet of snow.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for Strafford and interior Rockingham counties, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday night. The warning was scheduled to remain in effect through 4 p.m. Saturday. Heavy snow, blowing snow and strong winds were in the forecast as the storm sent residents scurrying to stock up on food at local stores and to gas up their cars.

And its not just traffic that's stalled by the storm. The U.S. Postal Service announced Friday night that all post offices in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont will be closed on Saturday due to dangerous weather conditions forecast throughout the region, and there will be no mail delivery today as a result. Normal post office hours of operation are expected to resume on Monday.

Some local police departments reported minimal car crashes early Friday evening, though in Auburn, a man was found dead after he apparently lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree on Route 28 around 12:30 p.m. earlier that day.

Even before the first snowflake had fallen, municipalities throughout New England and upstate New York canceled school Friday, and airlines canceled more than 3,700 flights through today, with the disruptions certain to ripple across the country.

Weather forecasters were predicting between 2 and 3 feet of snow in Boston. New York City braced for 10 to 14 inches where Mayor Michael Bloomberg said plows and 250,000 tons of salt were put on standby. In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia was looking at possibly a 2- to 5-inch snowfall.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick banned all traffic from roads after 4 p.m., a move that was believed to be the state's first such ban since the blizzard of 1978. Bay State officials threatened fines of up to $500 and a one-year in jail for drivers found out on the road.

Safety officials in New Hampshire stress residents should take caution around downed trees and wires and to be mindful of carbon monoxide produced from portable generators.

Residents were also urged to prepare for the event of a building collapse caused by heavy snow building up on rooftops, and to clear drifting snow away from exits and ventilation points in homes.

In Dover, an emergency parking ban was in the works for Friday evening. Dover Police Chief Anthony Colarusso declared the ban after consulting with Community Services Director Doug Steele. The ban was tentatively scheduled to be lifted at noon on Saturday.

While the ban is in place, vehicles may be parked in any city-controlled parking lot without regard to any posted regulations.

A snow emergency was also set to take effect in Portsmouth beginning at 7 p.m. Friday. Vehicles parked on any city street were subject to being towed at the owner's expense. The ban was scheduled to be extended to Portsmouth's downtown area by 1 a.m. Saturday.

“It is very important for vehicles to be off city streets during the storm so the snow removal process can be as efficient as possible,” Colarusso stated.

Rochester city officials also designated a winter parking ban, from 4 p.m. on Friday to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

This weekend's storm could prove to be among the top 10 snowstorms in New England history, and perhaps even break Boston's record of 27.6 inches, set in 2003, according to the National Weather Service. The last major snowfall in southern New England was well over a year ago — some may remember the October storm of 2011 that forced many communities to cancel or postpone Halloween.

Some residents said they were looking forward to traditional New England winter scenery that's been hard to come by since last year's bare winter.

John and Maggie Skafidas, of South Berwick, Maine, were among those looking forward to the storm, regardless of the threat of a power outage.

As longtime Seacoast residents, the Skafidas undertook limited preparations for the storm. Maggie said they know what to expect and are ready to have a nice night in, staying warm, thanks to their generator.

In Somersworth, Fire Chief Keith Hoyle warned residents to be aware of the possibility for power outages. He cautioned residents to use generators safely, and not to override electrical circuits, warning residents against using portable kerosene or gas heaters indoors. He said those units can leak potentially lethal carbon monoxide.

Idlehurst School, which is equipped with a generator, will be used as an emergency shelter in the event of extended power outages.

Fire departments around the region are reminding all Tri-City and Seacoast residents to shovel out fire hydrants adjacent to their properties after the snowfall ceases on Saturday. It will likely be some time before municipal crews are able to dig out hydrants.

Along the coast, police departments were preparing for the possibility of localized flooding during a high tide on Saturday morning. In Seabrook, police were mobilizing two HMMWV, “humvee” vehicles, and a 5-ton military transport vehicle. The humvees will allow police to maneuver during the storm, while the transport vehicle will be utilized in the event of an evacuation.

Seabrook Lt. John Wasson said officers would be keeping an eye on roadways along the length of the beach to monitor flooding problems Saturday morning.

Blizzard warnings were posted for parts of New Jersey and Long Island, as well as portions of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, including Hartford, New Haven, Conn., and Providence. The warnings extended into New Hampshire and Maine. Amtrak suspended train service between New York and Boston in the afternoon.

The snow had already resulted in 19-vehicle pileup accident in Maine Friday morning in Cumberland, as 6 inches accumulated in that area.

Foster's staff writers Andrea Bulfinch, Jim Haddadin, Christina Higginbotham and Samantha Allen, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report.